2001-04-09City of Beverly, Massachusetts
Public Meeting Minutes
BOARD: Open Space and Recreation Committee
SUBCOMMITTEE:
DATE: April 9, 2001
PLACE: Beverly Public Library
COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT: David Gardner (Chairman), Kathern Tracey, Richard
Baker, Kathleen Skrabut, Cindy Modugno, Bill Squibb,
Anthony Paluzzi, Guido Lauranzano, Ellen Flannery
ABSENT:Charles Raymond, Robert Buchsbaum
OTHERS PRESENT: Planning Director Tina Cassidy, Scott Houseman and
Tim Purinton (Mass. Audubon Society)
RECORDER: Jeannine Dion
Gardner calls the meeting to order at 7:10 p.m.
Finalize the Open Space and Recreation Plan
Cassidy distributes Section 8 (Goals and Objectives) and Section 9 (Five Year Action Plan) to the
members for discussion. The members review Sections 8 and 9 and make revisions.
Paluzzi: Motion to accept Sections 8 and 9 as revised, seconded by Flannery. All members
in favor.- Motion canies.
Cassidy states she will send revised copies of Sections 6 and 7 to the members for review and
comment before the public hearing on the 23rd.
Community Preservation Act (CPA)
At the last meeting a motion was passed to form an adhoc subcommittee to explore, with the
affordable housing and historic preservation groups, the Community Preservation Act (CPA).
Gardner asks Baker and Tracey to report back to the group.
Baker states he spoke with a couple of people from the Beverly Historical Society. He spoke
with Jack Murray, who agreed with the need to protect and enhance historical, open space and
housing, but did not agree with the CPA. He thinks the CPA is seriously flawed and is a political
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April 9, 2001
Page 2
compromise attempt to invest in a lot of different interests. Murray believes the Mayor has to
recommend it to the City Council for consideration and is not sure what the Mayor's position is
on the subject.
Baker states he also spoke with Doreen Ushakoff, President of the Beverly Historical Society and
she did not think the CPA was going to go anywhere now.
Gardner asks if the Beverly Historical Society has any projects that could benefit from CPA funds.
Baker responds that neither Murray nor Ushakoff indicated that they have any such projects and
they believe the public may think there are other higher priorities for tax increases.
Tracey states she spoke with Don Preston. He expressed interest but wants to speak with the
Mayor before going any further. He stressed the need for community support and will only go
forward if there is community support. Cassidy states she received an E mail from Preston asking
for information on the CPA.
Cassidy states there is a lot of importance being placed on the Mayor's individual opinion. She
states her read of the CPA is if the community wants it, then you have to work to assist the
petition and get it on the ballot, whether or not the chief elected official supports it.
Modugno recomruemls conducting a joint meeting with the affordable housing and historic
preservation groups.
State Representative Mike Cahill offers to meet with the subcommittee or have someone from
EOEA to explain some of the variables. There are creative ways to look at it, however the history
of Proposition 2 ½ makes it a tough sell.
Gardner asks Cahill to work with Cassidy to get the three groups together and provide
information and insight on the CPA.
Discussion of Committee Organization -Subcommittees
Gardner states he drafted potential subcommittee goals for consideration. He asks the members
to review the draft for discussion in greater detail at the next meeting.
Open Space and Recreation Plan Public Hearing
Cassidy informs the members that the next Master Plan Workshop is devoted to Residential
Development and Open Space. It is scheduled to take place on April 19, 2001.
The Open Space and Recreation Plan Public Hearing is scheduled to take place on April 23, 2001.
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April 9, 2001
Page 3
Scoff Houseman Presentation - Conservation Subdivision Design
Gardner introduces Scott Houseman, Chairman of the Zoning Board of Appeals who would like
to present material regarding conservation subdivisions.
Houseman states this is something he believes in strongly. It is not an answer to development but
it is a tool to help any community that decides to adopt it, to shape what is inevitable development
in a way that enables preserving the special places in the community. He hopes the Open Space
and Recreation Committee will endorse the idea and recommend to the City Council and Planning
Board that an open space or conservation subdivision ordinance be adopted in Beverly. He will
be making a presentation to the Conservation Commission and the Planning Board and hopes to
get the endorsement of the definition so that there is a sense, by the time it gets to City Council,
that the city agencies/committees that are involved with this subject matter have support. There is
a hope that this committee will see fit to have a general statement of endorsement or
recommendation that the city adopt a conservation subdivision ordinance.
Housemam introduces Tim Purinton, the Community Outreach Coordinator from the
Massachusetts Audubon Society. Purinton is working with the towns of Ipswich, Rowley,
Georgetown and Gloucester adopting Open Space Bylaws and conservation subdivision
ordinances.
Purinton states it is possible to integrate a conservation subdivision bylaw into a Master Plan.
The degree to which you integrate it is variable. In Ipswich, for example, they have a similar style
bylaw, but the Open Space Committee plays a very active role in the process of conservation
subdivision design and gets to weigh in, to a certain extent, on the way the open space is
configured.
Purinton's presentation gives an introduction and overview to conservation subdivision
ordinances. It is a collaborative effort to look at the way cities and towns do development and
see if there is a way to protect the resources in our communities that are valuable. The highlights
of the preservation:
· The traditional way of dividing land consumes large tracts of land.
· Mass. Audubon and other conservation organizations have an interest in conservation
subdivisions because it is seen as a way to protect agricultural, shellfish beds, habitat,
recreation and cultural/historical landscapes.
· Open space residential design comes from Randall Arendt, a Planner, who worked
primarily in Pennsylvania.
· The open space residential design puts the permit up front (with conditions), which
allows the applicant to feel more comfortable with the process.
· Four step design process: 1) Set aside the primary (wetlands) and secondary resources
(areas that have some value: i.e. trees, store walls, meadows, etc.), 2) locate house sites
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April 9, 2001
Page 4
3) Align roads and trails 4) draw lot lines. In a conventional design process, usually the
roads come first, the lots lines come second, then houses, etc.
· A model bylaw was put together so communities can look at it and use it as a tool to
determine what parts of the bylaw are best suited to the community.
· What determines eligibility? Different communities can choose different ways to
determine eligibility. For example: acreage, minimum number of lots, based on
configuration of development (i.e. cul-de-sacs have to proceed with this process),
specific zones, etc.
· Applicant has to provide a yield plan, sketch plan and project narrative up front.
· Applicant has to provide a concept plan, which is a "lightly engineering sketch plan" with
site generalizations and determination of yield. The plan becomes integral to the special
permit, which is the "insurance policy" for the project. If the project changes
significantly from the concept plan to the definitive plan, you can reopen the special
permit discussion based on the changes.
· What will open space become? Promote contiguousness to reduce habitat fragmentation;
integrate recreational aspect, location of infrastructure; how to use the open space must
he determined.
· Towns may integrate bonuses into the open space residential design to encourage
developers to use it or create affordable housing.
· Promotes creative partnerships.
· Streamlined so that it is not cumbersome.
· Conservation values.
Houseman presents an example of a proposed subdivision on an 80 acre parcel in Ipswich
Ipswich pushed the developer to go toward an open space plan. The developer came up with a
plan, which was sent back for further revision. The final plan preserved 36 acres of natural
features (almost half of the parcel).
Houseman shows a videotape featuring Jim Robins, Planning Director in Westborough. Robins
details examples of conservation subdivisions built in Westborough.
Houseman asks members if they have any questions.
Members express support for the concept. Squibb asks what it would take to get a conservation
subdivision bylaw implemented in Beverly. Houseman responds that it will take a lot of work.
He is scheduled to make presentations to the Planning Board and City Council and hopes to get
endorsement from city boards and committees.
Flannery: Motion to adjourn, seconded by Paluzzi. All members in favor, no one opposed.
Motion carries.
The meeting adjourns at 9:35 p.m.